This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nature Made. All opinions are 100% mine.

i was talking to my friend the other day about diet because she was telling me about some stomach pains she had been having the past few months. we got onto a whole topic about the various diets that are out there, some informative, and some confusing. it made me think a lot about my journey on this (seemingly) endless search and endeavor for well-being. and i've come to realize over the years that this looks different for each individual. everyone comes to it with their own ideas and approach, their own background and history; but something that has always mattered to me personally, was if i was going to really look down the long lens of what "well being" was, is was going to be through a very holistic approach.

by holistic, i mean taking into consideration the whole body (the mind also very much included in this). my first undertaking was by changing my diet; removing inflammatory foods, and generally making better decisions about what i was nourishing my body with. but over the years that changed and shifted; i would gain knowledge in certain areas about what might be affecting me, but still not feel my best. i started to notice a giant shift however, when i found out i was pregnant. previously i had focused solely on diet, without taking into account the substantial impact that supplements can have when taken with a nutrient-dense diet.

postpartum, i went through a whole slew of hormonal problems, some i'm still dealing with 19 months out. a few months after having amesy, i stopped taking my prenatal vitamins - vitamin d, magnesium, and a probiotic - because i didn't think i really needed them anymore. i should also mention i wasn't eating my best either. i was starting the mornings with too much sugar, drinking coffee (which has always been a negative trigger for my system), eating way too many carbs at night, and dealing with the stress of moving across the country with a tiny baby. it wasn't until amesy was about a year old that i finally sought the help of a holistic nutritionist here in los angeles.

because vitamin d is synthesized by the skin when exposed to the sunlight during certain times of the day and year, i thought that if i was in the sun enough my source of vitamin d would be fine. it turns out that's not really the case, and that vitamin d aids in the absorption of calcium, which impacts your bones, muscles, and your immune system†. so from there, my nutritionist suggested a few supplements to get me back on track, vitamin d and magnesium among them. nature made vitamin d is my everyday go-to, it's a trusted partner that's devoted to supporting a healthy and wholesome lifestyle. consuming a nutrient rich diet, while also supplementing with vitamins plays an important role in helping me to fill any gaps in feeling my best.

this dish is a little jazzed up, but for the blog, but it's something that i eat each and every week. i try to balance my meals with healthy fats, greens and/or veggies, and nutrient rich protein. i tend to stick to wild salmon when i can get it. here, it's simply roasted with some oil, and salt and pepper. the real gem of this dish is the green romesco sauce. it's slightly spicy because there are poblano peppers at its' base. it's pulsed with toasted pepitas, some garlic, oil, and vinegar. what i love about this is that you cane make the sauce ahead of time, and cook and eat throughout the week with your preferred protein and this romesco sauce. i could even see it being a lovely compliment to grilled veggies in the summertime.

xo!

†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Roasted Salmon W/ Pepita & Poblano Romesco Sauce

the sauce is on the spicy side. if you want to keep some heat, i suggest using 1 green bell pepper, and 1 poblano pepper.

method

for the romesco. roast the pepper over a gas flame set to medium-low, rotating it with tongs until charred evenly - about 15 minutes (if you don't have a gas stove, you can broil it in your oven). place pepper in a boil and cover tightly with plastic wrap (this creates steam to help peel the skin). once cool enough, cut the pepper and discard the stem and seeds, carefully peel the skin and discard. run the peppers under water to remove any excess char; dry, and blend in a food processor with remaining ingredients. season to taste with salt and pepper. place in a lidded jar in the refrigerator until ready to use (i like to make it a couple days in advance to let the flavors come together.)

for the salmon. preheat oven to 450°F.

rub salmon filet with the oil, and generously season both sides of it with salt and pepper. place the filet in a large baking dish. cook for 12-15 minutes, until the flesh is opaque, and mostly cooked through.

let the salmon cool for 10 minutes. then slice it into 4 portions and top it with the romesco sauce.

it's finally rhubarb season, at least at the markets. although, i know if we were back home in new york, in my mom's garden, the rhubarb stalks wouldn't be quite able to harvest yet. maybe a couple more weeks and we could make strawberry rhubarb crumble, or this maple blue-barb jam with lemon verbena that would be shooting up just about everywhere. every year, around mid-march, we would anxiously anticipate any and every little green spout shooting out of the soil. it didn't matter whether is was a weed or an asparagus shoot - we honored it all the same. this is the time of year where the nightly frost would subside, and it would be safe to plant more delicate flowers, plants, and vegetables. it's quite the shift planting in here in los angeles though. it seems as if growing season starts a lot earlier, of which i'm not prepared for! we have a small garden space now that i can't wait to literally get my hands into, so hopefully i will bring you an update from on garden on this coast one day ;)

in the meantime, let's talk about these rhubarb bars, and the lovely book they hail from!

because rhubarb is such a fibrous, stalk i had always been wary of eating rhubarb sliced and baked like this. i never thought rhubarb would taste that great prepared like that, but it so does! in fact, i think you really get an appreciation for rhubarb's bright, tart flavor in these simple, delicious bars. the crust is made from a short list of 4 ingredients, and same goes for the almond-rhubarb, just 4 ingredients, plus the rhubarb. there's little that i love more when a little desert comes together in quickly.

this recipe comes from the beautiful pages of more with less, by jodi moreno. i've been a fan of jodi's site for years. her creative ways of paring flavors with mostly plant-based dishes, has always caught my attention. and her photographs have always served to shine on a light on her beautiful work. i've come back to jodi's book so many times since receiving it. it serves as such a lovely guide, giving you the tools like sauces, dressings, toppings, and other condiments to use throughout the recipes in her (visually stunning) book. more with less is a book to constantly turn to for simple, flavorful recipes, and cooking inspiration.

for the giveaway:

one winner will be chosen at random to recieve a copy of more with less

open to US residents only (sorry international friends)

good luck! XO

**UPDATE: giveaway now closed**

rhubarb bars | v & gf

jodi notes that you can use a variety of fruits here if rhubarb isn't your thing, or if you can't find it. notably, she mentions fruit such as berries or apples which sound great. i could also imagine peaches or nectarines being wonderful as well.

method

preheat oven to 350°F. line the baking pan with two pieces of parchment paper, going in different directions, enough to come up and over each side (this will make them easy to remove).

crust. in a large mixing bowl, add the oat flour, brown rice flour, maple syrup, olive oil, and salt, and stir to combine. transfer the mixture to the parchment-lines pan and press evenly on all sides. bake for 10 minutes, remove, and allow to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.

almond rhubarb filling. put the almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until golden. transfer the almonds to food processor and add the oat flour, sugar, and olive oil, and pulse several times until you have a course but consistent mixture. spread the mixture evenly on top of the crust. arrange the rhubarb on top, any way you like.

return the pan to the oven and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, until the rhubarb is soft and cooked through. let the pan cool for at least 15 minutes before attempting to remove the bars and cutting into them. once ready, lift the parchment out of the pan and transfer to a flat surface to cut the bars into squares. the bars will keep for several days on the countertop in an airtight container.

i'm not sure about where you live, but spring has kinda been all over the place. and not to talk too much about weather, but the weather totally informs me of what i want to eat! you too? we've had weeks in the cool, breezy 60's. and next week they're calling for temps in the 80's. but just recently it's been super chilly, drizzly, and overcast. it's kind of been fantastic. we've had the heat on, warm food in our bellies, cozy sweaters, just general coziness all around :)

i made this broth with health in mind (we all recently got over the flu, and still have a nagging cough), but really, it's just a spring green bowl that hugs you in all the right places. i added chard to a basic chicken bone broth (you could totally use vegetable broth, too), along with some aromatics, and herbs, giving it that full-flavored, down right gratifying slurp. i love this time of year when sunny days are warm, you can get a little sun-kissed on the end of your nose, and the apples of your cheeks, but still crave warmth at the end of the day when the sun's gone down and everything gets genuinely chilly.

i added a bunch of spring toppings that i had on hand. some steamed broccoli rabe, quickly sautéed snap peas (which, when they're this fresh literally take 3 minutes tops to cook!), some sliced radish, and chopped spring onion. it's a diy toppings kind of recipe, where you could totally add whatever you have on hand and it will be just as virtuous.

xo's!

spring green broth w/ soba noodles | gf

this is a kind of recipe where you could really use any hearty greens you like for the broth (kale, arugula, collard greens, etc.). similarly, you could add any toppings that you have on hand here: zucchini noodles, carrot ribbons, cooked beans or lentils, or i could see a roasted or grilled piece of salmon or any type of white fish plopped right in the broth or served alongside.

method

place the bone broth in a large soup pot over medium heat and bring it to a simmer.

while the broth is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan over medium heat. add the leeks, and stir. cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes. add the garlic, and stir. cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds. remove from heat. (keep the pan around, you're going to use it later to cook your veggies.)

to the container of an upright blender (preferably high-speed), add the broth, leek and garlic mixture, chard (or whatever greens you are using), and cilantro. cover the container with the top and let the ingredients sit for about 10 minutes, letting the greens soften and wilt a bit. then, blend on high for about 1 minute, until everything is broken down and blended. add the miso, tamari, and lemon juice and whiz everything again. taste and adjust any seasonings, and add salt and pepper to taste. (if you're not using a high-speed blender, and you don't have a smooth, broth-like consistency, you may want to strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve.)

return the green broth to the soup pot and bring to a simmer. turn heat down to low, and cover to keep warm while you prepare your soba noodles and veggies.

cook the noodles according the package's instructions. drain, and cool them under cold water to stop them from cooking.

divide the broth between bowls, add the soba noodles and whatever other toppings you like. serve hot.